


In High Spirits

by thankyouturtle



Category: Emelan - Pierce
Genre: Alcohol, Canon Compliant, Experimentation, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-23
Updated: 2009-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-05 02:31:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thankyouturtle/pseuds/thankyouturtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some rules are better broken together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In High Spirits

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rynne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rynne/gifts).



> This, er, incident is mentioned in the later books as happening sometimes between the first _Circle_ quartet and _The Circle Opens_, but it's only mentioned in passing, so I thought I'd draw it out a little more.

“Don’t think we don’t know what you’re doing, boy.”

Briar looked up from his garden and his large pile of weeds straight into the face of his sister, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren. He grimaced at her. “Rosethorn still says that better than you, even when you’re bein’ a noble.”

“And Rosethorn would hang you from the well if she heard you talking like that,” another of Briar’s sisters added waspishly. “Did you really think we wouldn’t find out you were stockpiling drink?” Despite the heat, she was still wearing too many petticoats. Living with three girls and two women, Briar knew more about female clothing than any man had a right to, and he’d also long since learned that Tris put more stock in being what she called _decent_ than even Sandry did.

“It’s not for drinking,” Briar said, doing his best to sound innocent. “It’s for that new vine Niko brought. It needs more than just water-”

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one.” Daja was less emotional than the two other girls, but Briar could still tell when she was angry. And she didn’t seem angry, more – amused.

“What are you going to do?” Briar asked suspiciously. “Make me empty it all out? You’re not going to tell Lark, are you?”

The three girl looked at each other and giggled, and Briar winced. Clearly the three of them had been making _plans_.

***

_Where do you think he’s getting it from?_ Sandry had asked her sisters that morning, speaking magically so that their foster mothers wouldn’t hear.

_His _street_ friends, probably_, Tris sniffed. Then, _He’s not really going to drink it all, is he? _

_If he drank all of that it would kill him_, Daja told them. Her people were Traders, and it was well-drilled into them as children that drinking at sea was a foolish thing to do, when a storm could hit at any moment. Still, Daja wasn’t at sea now, and Tris could warn them of any approaching storms.

_If I drink anything Niko would kill me_, Tris said firmly, swiping a dish furiously with a rag. _He’s said so many times that liquor makes you lose control. Think of the damage that could happen if we lost control. If _I_ lost control. _

_So we go somewhere where we can’t do any damage_, Sandry suggested. Immediately, she remembered the old shed that stood at least a morning’s walk from the temple grounds, and sent a picture of it to the other two.

_That might work_. Daja was cautious, but interested.

“You three are quiet this morning,” Lark said, glancing up from her embroidery.

“We were planning a picnic,” Sandry said brightly. “It looks like being a lovely day.”

_No_, Tris told the other two furiously. _Definitely not._

***

Tris held the wine bottle at arm’s length. “It smells like vinegar,” she announced.

“Quit complainin’, Curls,” Briar told her. “It was the best I could do.”

“It’s not so bad once you get started,” Sandry put in. She’s made her way through about half her bottle. “And it’s a nice feeling, too. Sort of like wool that hasn’t been carded.”

“Go on Tris,” Daja teased. “Bottoms up.”

Tris gave in, and drank. After a while, she noticed there was quite a cool breeze blowing in the shed. She frowned. The door was definitely shut, so how was there a breeze blowing inside-

***

By the time they’d all had more than enough, the shed was no longer standing.


End file.
